Inland USB 2.0 Card Reader/Writer Review

Overall 4.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

add to my favorites email to a friend subscribe to feed

Publisher's Circle

bkovacs
Annandale, VA

add bkovacs to my friends list

Fast memory card reader

technically savvy, a gadget geek, a photographer

Pros

fastest card reader I have, powered by USB port, reads most memory cards

Cons

short cord

AUG

2007

I'm a big digital camera user and have been for several years. In fact, I have three digital cameras, including a really fancy one my wife has. The three cameras use two different types of memory cards, CompactFlash and SecureDigital (SD). We often travel and I wanted a card reader that could handle all our memory types, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money. It also had to travel easily.

Enter the Inland USB 2.0 Card Reader/Writer, which cost me $10 at a computer store.

What it is

The Inland USB 2.0 Card Reader/Writer (it has no other part number or name) is a little silver plastic box with four slots for memory cards. In addition to handling the two types described above, it will also work with Memory Stick and SmartMedia memory cards. SmartMedia is becoming increasingly rare, although I had a camera that used SmartMedia at the point I bought the Inland USB 2.0 Card Reader/Writer. Memory Stick cards are used in many Sony products.

The Inland USB 2.0 Card Reader/Writer has a short cable that swings out of a pocket on the back edge. This cable has a standard USB connector that will plug into any computer, and the device is powered through this connector -- it does not require any batteries.

The card slots are on the sides and are not well marked. Four lights on the top of the unit glow when the appropriate memory card is inserted.

Using it

The Inland USB 2.0 Card Reader/Writer is the fastest memory card reader I have used. Just a couple days ago, I loaded about 30 pictures, each about 3-4 MB, and they loaded into the computer at the rate of about one second each. Cards are easy to insert and memory cards always go into the Inland USB 2.0 Card Reader/Writer right-side up. The unit doesn't weigh much, which is good because that makes it easier to carry when I travel.

This memory card reader has worked perfectly with all three types of memory that I tried in it: SmartMedia, SD and CompactFlash.

The biggest problem with the Inland USB 2.0 Card Reader/Writer is that it has such a short cord. A USB cord just a couple inches longer would be very nice. As it is, the three-inch cord is so short that the unit almost always has to dangle from the cord whenever it is plugged in. It doesn't weigh much so there's not really any strain, but the dangling is unsightly. That is really the only problem, however.

Summary

I like the Inland USB 2.0 Card Reader/Writer and it is definitely a buy for $10. There are more expensive card readers out there and certainly better-looking ones, but this works great for a little bit of money.